The Katie Did

Our goal was to not have a C-section like I had with her sister. They call that a VBAC. They are much less common than they used to be due to fear of lawsuits from potential complications. To help me achieve my goal, I hired a doula, Crystal, to support me. They like you to go in to the hospital a little sooner when you are a VBAC due to the possibilty of rupturing things you want to stay intact. But going in to the hospital earlier tends to lead to more interventions and increases your chances of a repeat C-section. That is what we wanted to avoid.

I had experienced false labor the Thursday before Katie was born. Contractions had started Wed night and increased in frequency and intensity overnight. Thursday morning I had contractions 5 min apart lasting 45 sec or so for several hours, then they petered out. So when they started up again Friday evening, I was hesitant to call anyone or go to the hospital for fear that I was in false labor again. Because of this, I didn't call my doula until around 9 am Sabbath morning, even though I'd been in labor since around 6 pm Friday night.

She suggested a warm bath while she finished a few things and came over and I concurred. I followed her suggestions until I couldn't take it any more. I told Andy that if the doula didn’t get there soon, I wanted to go to the hospital without her. I had never felt anything so painful in my life!

My doula arrived sometime around 11 am. We immediately headed for the hospital that is about 25 minutes away. I went to the ER as required and they insisted I go into a triage room so they could “assess” me despite my husband asking if we could just go up to L&D. I was in the triage room for about 4 minutes, enough time for me to have TWO 1-minute-long contractions. They quickly took me upstairs.

In the L&D triage area they about freaked when I told them I was a VBAC. They asked if my MD was ok with that. I told them yes, that we had discussed it in the office. I then asked for an epidural. They said they had to check with the MD and began asking questions, which I answered the best I could while having my contractions 2 minutes apart. They checked me and I was 7 cm. (For those of you who don't know, you have to go from 1 cm dilation to 10 cm dilation to give birth.) They started my IV and then gave me some Stadol “to take the edge off” until anesthesia could do my epidural.

I have to say, the Stadol was both good and bad. It took the edge off alright. I couldn’t seem to keep my eyes open the rest of the afternoon until I delivered. They moved me to my L&D room in short order. The anesthesiologist came, kicked out my husband & doula and gave me my epidural. I don’t think he ever turned it up very high or maybe it wasn’t working well. I never did have any problems moving my legs and I felt my contractions pretty much the same as before.

When it came time to push the doctor came in and asked if I wanted them to turn down the epidural so I could feel to push. I told him “No, I’m good”. I could feel just fine! Again, I’ve never felt anything like it. I pushed for about 45 minutes or so. Andy said I really wasn’t that noisy. I remember thinking that I didn’t know if I could do it if I turned out to be one of those women who has to push for 2 hours.

At one point the OB stepped out of the room and I remember thinking that I must not be that close if he left the room. They coached me with pushing for a while. Suddenly they were yelling at me not to push and they told someone to get the OB. He came in the room and then everyone began coaching me.

I pushed when the OB said to. I pushed and pushed. I began wondering if I could actually do this. At that point your are basically committed! But I kind of freaked out a little, saying I couldn’t do this. The OB sternly told me to open my eyes and focus on him, which I did. My doula said later that they had 5 nurses in the room and they were all talking to me at once. I remember thinking it was too much stimuli. My OB told me later that I said “too many people talking”. But I don’t remember saying that.

Then all of a sudden they were all saying “Don’t Push! Blow! Blow!” Apparently one of her shoulders was stuck. The OB freed her shoulder. I asked if I could push and they said yes. That was all she wrote, I pushed and she was out. She is amazing. Has a spontaneous hematoma (collection of blood) on the left side of the back of her head. Looks like they used vaccum but they didn't. it should go away in time.

What a beautiful little girl God has blessed us with. We are so very fortunate that God has entrusted this little one to us. May we be worthy of that trust...